Management of turfgrass, including unimproved turfgrass, requires a substantial annual investment in time, labor, mechanical and chemical treatments, fertilization and machinery. A significant portion of the investment in turfgrass management is devoted to labor costs and the cost associated with purchasing, maintaining and operating maintenance equipment. Further, renovation of native prairiegrass and release of native grasses in range and meadowlands from competition of undesirable plant species has become a challenge of increasing importance. Therefore, the development and use of chemical treatments which suppress seedheading and reduce growth in turfgrass, control undesirable weeds in the presence of turfgrass, are not injurious to turfgrass and do not alter the appearance of turfgrass, could significantly reduce the overall maintenance costs for turfgrass management.
Recent advances in the fields of herbicide treatment and plant growth regulant agents have resulted in the discovery that certain imidazolinone compounds are particularly suitable for use on turfgrass. For example, compositions comprising imidazolinone compounds which are suitable for use in turfgrass management for lawns, sport fields, playgrounds, parks, golf courses, cemeteries and the like are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,791. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,536 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,068 disclose growth regulant and herbicidal properties of the family of imidazolinone compounds which are suitable for use in crop cultivation practice. However, improved turfgrass management methods which provide an alternative to mechanical mowing without causing permanent grass damage or shortening stand life and which are applicable to grand spanses of prairieland, rangeland and meadowland are still being sought.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved method to enhance seedhead suppression and growth reduction in turfgrass.
It is another object of this invention to provide turfgrass management compositions suitable for use in suppressing seedheading and reducing growth of turfgrass without causing permanent grass damage or shortening stand life.
It is a feature of this invention that many desirable wildflower and legume species are tolerant to the inventive methods and composition.
It is another feature of this invention that native prairiegrass renovation and release may be implemented with effective turfgrass management practices.
These and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description set forth below.